The airport is a hub for Silver Airways, as well as a focus city for Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, and Spirit. Based on the number of passengers carried, Southwest is the airport's largest carrier. Orlando International Airport is also home to a large maintenance base for United Airlines.

Orlando International Airport (MCO) is unique because, while it is one of the busiest airports in the U.S., it does not serve as a primary "fortress hub" for a major legacy carrier like Atlanta does for Delta. Instead, in 2026, MCO serves as a major operating base or "focus city" for several airlines. Southwest Airlines is the largest carrier by passenger volume and treats MCO as a primary connection point. Silver Airways uses MCO as its main hub for regional Florida and Caribbean turboprop flights. Additionally, MCO is a critical base for Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and JetBlue, all of which maintain a massive presence with dozens of daily flights. Breeze Airways also expanded its MCO base significantly in 2025–2026. For travelers, this means MCO offers incredibly competitive pricing due to the high density of low-cost carriers competing for the massive tourist traffic bound for Disney World and Universal.